Based on measurements of triceps skinfold thickness and upper arm circumference of a cross-sectional sample of 19,097 white subjects aged 1 to 74 yr, derived from the United States Health and Nutritional Examination Survey of 1971 to 1974, the arm muscle circumference, arm muscle area, and arm fat area were calculated. Thereafter, age- and sex-specific percentiles for all three estimates of upper arm tissues were obtained. Based on empirical and theoretical evidence, it is recommended that assessments of nutritional status be made on the basis of areas of fat and areas of muscle rather than direct skinfold thickness and arm circumference. It is also recommended that these new norms should replace those currently in use.

The study includes measurements of height, weight, triceps skinfold, subscapular skinfold, upper arm circumference, and elbow breadth of a cross-sectional multiracial sample of 21,752 subjects aged 25 to 74 yr derived from the data sets of the first and second National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES I and NHANES II). Based on these data, percentiles of weight, skinfolds, and bone-free upper arm muscle area by height, sex, and frame size were established for all races combined in two groups: adults aged 25 to 54 yr and the elderly aged 55 to 74 yr. These new standards can be used to differentiate those who are at risk of being obese and undernourished. It is recommended that assessment of anthropometric nutritional status and health status of contemporary adult and elderly populations be made with reference to the present standards in conjunction with age correction factors.

No abstract

Data on physical growth were obtained for a sample of 1202 Quechua subjects, aged 2 to 35 years from the district of Nuiioa, Puno, located in the southe m highlands (altitude 4000-5500m) of Peru. These data were supplemented by a three-year longitudinal study of 300 subjects, aged 1 to 22 years.The patterns of physical growth of members of the indigenous population of Nufioa are characterized by (1) late sexual dimorphism, (2) slow and prolonged growth in body size, (3) late and poorly defined adolescent stature spurt in both males and females, and ( 4 ) accelerated development in chest size. The socio-economic factors associated with urban-rural and altitude differences appear to be reflected in greater deposition of subcutaneous fat and increased weight but do not seem to influence the development of stature. We suggest the pattern of growth of this population is related to the hypoxic effects of high altitude, and/or reflects a genetic adaptation to such stress. The anthropometric and physiological studies conducted during this and previous studies and the comparative data from Peruvian populations situated at lower altitudes document the specific adaptive response of the chest wall to the hypoxic effects of high altitude.